News Corp. Settles More Phone-Hacking Claims, Lawyer Says

April 19 (Bloomberg) -- News Corp.’s U.K. publishing unit
has settled more than 89 percent of the 167 phone-hacking claims
from a second wave of litigation by victims who said their voice
mails were illegally intercepted.

A further 21 claims are still pending with another eight
victims seeking to join the litigation Hugh Tomlinson, a lawyer
for the victims, said at a London hearing today.

News Corp. has resolved several hundred claims over two
sets of litigation by victims through court-approved settlements
and an out-of-court process created by the company. Police have
said the tabloid had thousands of “potential victims,” though
the level of evidence varies.

The company apologized in open court today to former
Conservative politician Neil Hamilton and his wife Christine as
well as television personality John Leslie and a political aide
to Tony Blair, Matthew Doyle, agreeing to pay undisclosed
damages to the quartet.

News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert
Murdoch closed the News of the World tabloid in July 2011 in
response to public anger over revelations it intercepted the
mobile-phone messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler a
decade ago.